A slightly smaller chapter this time.
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The emperor looked really dignified on the altar they had placed him on. They had dressed him up in his most imposing clothes and placed a scepter in his hands. Just over his chest. It seemed like they had been able to cover up any traces of the wound that had killed him.
"And thus we give our final farewell to emperor Makoto. The leader of the empire and the protector of it's people." a priest droned on. Standing beside the altar.
The big chapel was filled with politicians, warriors and nobles. Esdese was standing in the front row. Wearing a black suit and a matching black cap. All the military leaders and warriors that were attending the event stood behind her. Gallus standing on her left side as the only other general present in the capital. Tatsumi stood a bit further back. Also dressed up for the ceremony.
The prime minister himself was standing beside the altar. Dramatically wiping his eyes with a handkerchief. Tatsumi looked at the man for some moments. Confident that it was just an act. He had a feeling that the prime minister was already planning ahead. He shifted his gaze over to the dead emperor. Things were going to get pretty chaotic now. Since it would be unclear of who the new ruler was. Or how the prime minister was going to remain in control without his puppet.
Half an hour later, the procedure was done. The crowd was slowly moving to the next room. Leaving the priests with the emperor. General Gallus staying behind with them. His religion forcing him to pay further respect to his dead leader.
Tatsumi walked up to Esdese as she moved towards the next room. The crowd walking in the same direction all around them.
"Bored?" he asked with a smile. Already knowing the answer.
"Very." Esdese said. Unsmiling.
"I thought you were the great general now? Can't you just do whatever you want?" he teased her.
Esdese kept her gaze forward. "Only a child thinks that those in power are free to do whatever they want."
"I must say that it is strange to see you in mourning clothes, though. Always thought that you didn't let the dead bother you."
"Just because I don't let the death around me affect me doesn't mean that I don't grieve for them. I am not a machine, Tatsumi. I just don't let grief affect how I live."
"Ahh so you liked the kid then?" Tatsumi said. Continuing to tread the line between normal discussing and teasing.
"He was the leader of the empire that I fight for. That is as far as our relation went. Nonetheless, he was my responsibility. To an extent, his death is my failure."
"Ohh so you are sad?" Tatsumi said with exaggerated suprise. She often poked at him when he was grieving so he was not going to miss a chance to do the same.
"Not really." Esdese said and moved some of her hair away. "Just bored and annoyed."
The hall they walked into was filled with many small tables and chandeliers. The butlers were walking around and serving drinks and snacks to the crowd that moved into the room. Esdese took a glass of champagne from a tray that one of them was carrying.
"Have you been able to find anymore clues about the assassin?" he asked her as she sipped on her drink.
"Not yet." she said. It had been a week since the emperor had been discovered dead in his chambers. Along with the guards outside his room. Esdese had immediately taken in every guard that was patroling that part of the castle for questioning. Of course, Tatsumi realized that this "questioning" took place in the torture chambers.
"Do you think any of the guards are hiding something?" Tatsumi asked.
"I don't think so. Most of them are spent by now. They just didn't know anything about it."
Tatsumi did not need to ask her about what she meant by spent. "That didn't save them from a rather grim fate."
"They failed their duty to protect the emperor." Esdese said but then she shrugged. "But yeah, they were just unlucky. Being at the wrong place at the wrong time. Too weak to handle the situation they happened to be in."
"Just like the emperor."
"Indeed." she said and looked at him for the first time since they had started to talk. The entire hall was filled with silent discussions.
"So we have no idea yet?" Tatsumi said.
"Not yet." Esdese said slowly and looked at him over her glass. Her sharp eyes piercing him. She still hadn't smiled yet.
Tatsumi could hear the whispering discussions around them and he had noticed that a lot of people were looking at him. And if he was able to notice them, then he knew that Esdese could probably hear everything that they were talking about.
There was no secret that many people suspected Tatsumi. He would have been down in those torture chambers along with all the guards if it wasn't for his position. Esdese herself had vouched for his innocence. Many of the noblemen and politicians had disliked that. Many thought that she was being too soft on him. That she let her love for him sway her judgement of the situation. Not that anyone dared to say so to her face.
There had been some complaints from those who had arranged this ceremony when it was clear that Tatsumi would be attending it together with Esdese. Some finding it in poor taste that one of those who many people suspected for the murder would attend the burial. But Esdese would have none of it. She would take her mate with her if she so desired. If they didn't want her to do so then they were free to try and stop her.
She looked at his eyes while she drank some of the champagne. Thinking about the situation while she listened to how the people around them whispered about if Tatsumi was the culprit or not. She herself was pretty confident that he was not. She had held him in her arms through the night in question. Until the couriers woke her up with the message about the emperor's death. But even then, Tatsumi had still been knocked out by the drug. He hadn't woken up until late in the morning that day.
Nonetheless, she was a bit conflicted. She knew that she had been unable to detect her surroundings for a part of that night. Due to the drug. But she had seen Tatsumi swallow the other half of the dose with her own eyes. She was sure that he had been unconscious until the next day.
Yet her instincts were still unclear on the matter. Mainly because a part of her didn't want him to be guilty as well. That would mean the end of the happy days that she had with him. She would be forced to act then.
Tatsumi was getting a bit nervous by her silent staring at him. Her eyes cold and calculated. "Everything okay?" he asked after some moments.
"Bored and annoyed." Esdese repeated. Her free hand started to move up towards his face. If she was intending to caress or hurt him, Tatsumi never learned since she halted herself in the middle of the movement. She let her arm fall down and turned her head to the side. Tatsumi followed her gaze and saw what she had detected.
The prime minister was walking towards them. Holding his hands behind his back.
"Great general. Tatsumi." he said with a nod to each of them.
"Prime minister." Tatsumi said and bowed lightly. Esdese just returned the nod.
"Thank you both for coming." The prime minister said and shot Tatsumi a glance. "This is a sad day indeed."
"Well, it is a slow one. That's for sure." Esdese said.
The prime minister nodded. "Great general, could I have a word with you? In private."
"Ohh do you not trust me, Prime minister?" Tatsumi exclaimed. "You hurt me."
The prime minister smiled at Tatsumi. "It is necessary to keep some standards, young man. It will be up to the great general to decide what she will tell you. As a minister, I can only relay the important information to her. Not to bystanders." The minister's smile did not reach his eyes.
Tatsumi was about to respond but one of Esdese's hands took a hold of his shoulder. Stopping him in his tracks.
"Let's talk, prime minister." Esdese said and walked past Tatsumi. Giving him her glass as she did. She cast him a glance over her shoulder that Tatsumi found hard to read.
He stood there and looked at how Esdese and the prime minister walked off to a secluded area of the hall and started to talk. Out of earshot of everyone.
Tatsumi sipped on the alcohol Esdese had given him as he looked at them. Thinking about everything. He wondered what the prime minister's next move would be. He knew the he still had a strong control over the imperial court. Since most of the people there were people that he had put there. The few people the he had not put in minister positions himself were either bought by him or didn't dare to oppose him.
But now the pretense was gone. Even if those in power knew that the prime minister was the one who ruled, a lot of the common people didn't. And that could lead to problems now that the prime minister's puppet was gone. He would have to keep a close eye on how the prime minister would handle the situation. Hopefully things would go as planned. Which meant that Esdese would be gaining more and more control of the empire.
He looked at his lover. Taking in her beauty for some moments. She wore the black suit with more elegance than most men in the room. But conisdering her lean and beautiful body, she could easily make most attires attractive. He sighed sadly.
In the end, she would be put in control. If things worked out. And then he would need to stop her. Somehow. Tatsumi held no illusion about what a rule under Esdese would look like. He knew that it might even be a worse fate for the empire than the prime minister's rule. And he was still unsure of if he would be able to bring her down.
He was brought back from his thinking as he noted that Esdese had started to smile. Which was a little bit worrying. After talking for a little while longer she finally nodded to the prime minister and walked back to Tatsumi.
It was easy for him to see that she was in a better mood now. Which was troubling. Tatsumi emptied the glass.
"Sooo.. what did the minister want? he asked when she got close.
"Curious?" Esdese asked and smiled at him.
"Well, you do seem much less bored now." Tatsumi said and gave the now empty glass to a passing attendant.
"Correct." Esdese said and moved in close to him.
"Care to explain why?" Tatsumi said and started to move a bit backwards.
"Nope. Not at all." Esdese said and stopped his escape by putting her arms around him. Pressing him close as she looked down on him.
"Come on." Tatsumi tried to goad her on. "Tell me. What did you talk about?"
"I will let it be a suprise." she said and put her nose against his. "You will find out soon enough."
Tatsumi didn't like the sound of that at all. When Esdese talked about suprises, it usually meant some new powerful move or some new horrible way to torture someone. But he couldn't press her more on this or he might seem suspiciously nosy.
He opened his mouth to respond but as soon as he did, Esdese shoved her tongue into it.
It seemed like whatever they had talked about had lifted her mood quite a bit, Tatsumi reasoned as her tongue started to wrestle with his own. Not that he didn't enjoy the exchange but literally everyone in the room was glancing at them. The situation did not get less troublesome when her hand reached down and grabbed a firm grip of his butt.
The whispers grew a bit louder around them. It was not really appropirate to make out and enjoy yourself at what was supposed to be a time for mourning. Not that any of the two lovers cared much about that. Tatsumi just found the extra attention a little bit bothering and Esdese herself couldn't care less. She had already paid her respects by just being there. That was far more consideration than she usually gave those that were mourning or dead.
After a little while, she moved her mouth away from his. "I should have kept you with me in the front row." she said and licked her lips. "Then I could at least have used you to stave off the boredom."
Tatsumi smiled at her darkely. In a twisted way, he liked that idea. It would be such a sweet insult towards the empire he hated so much. "Let's do that next time."
"I doubt that there will be a next time." Esdese said and rubbed her nose against his. "Whoever takes up the throne next will not fall so easily. I will see to it myself."
"Probably." Tatsumi said. "But you never know."
Akame sighed loudly as she bent backwards into her chair. Closing her eyes for some moments.
She knew what she had to do. She just really didn't want to do it.
She was alone in a big office. Sitting in an office chair behind a huge desk. Papers and reports spread all over it. Akame opened her eye and looked up at the high ceiling. It still felt strange that she should be the one to sit there. This had been Najenda's office. And now it was hers. It still felt wrong to her.
Would you have understood what I am trying to do, Najenda? Akame thought as she heard how the footsteps of her visitors came closer. Or would you curse me for what I am about to do?
Leone was the first to enter the room. Throwing the door open in her usual, carefree way. "Goooood afternoon, Akame!" she called out with her usual energy as she walked into the room, followed by Isamu and a representative of the revolutionary army.
"Good afternoon, Leone." Akame said with a smile and leaned forward in her chair. Putting her arms on the desk.
"You should go outside a bit." Leone said as she sat down in one of the big chairs next to the desk. "The sun is shining. Did you even know that? You look like you could use some sun."
Akame smiled tiredly. "When I find the time."
Leone smiled and shook her head. "So.. why did you summon us?"
"Some good news and some bad news." Akame said. "What do you want to hear first?"
Isamu sat down in another chair. "Start with the bad news. Then we will hopefully have something to cheer us up after that." he sighed.
Akame nodded. "We have found Najenda's body."
The room fell silent after that sentence. The revolutionary army had never found the body of Najenda after the battle of Garu. The empire had announced that they had killed the leader of night raid but they knew that just might be a case of propaganda. But now they knew. They had already assumed that Najenda was dead and had moved on as if that was the case. Yet it was still a hard blow. They had all still hidden a small speck of hope inside.
"Where?" Leone asked after some moments of silence.
"She is on display on top of the main gate into the capital. She hangs naked and mutilated on the side of the wall." Akame said silently.
"So much for dignity." Leone said in a bitter voice. "Damn Esdese."
"I am not sure that this is the work of Esdese. Either way, I wanted you to know. So you don't run into this information somewhere else." Akame said and crossed her fingers in front of her face.
"It's been quite a while now." Isamu said. "Shouldn't her body be beyond recognition at this point?"
"They have done quite a lot of things to her corpse in order for it to be recognizable by everyone that knew who she was. I will spare you the details but let's just say that you should keep your gaze down if you happen to pass that gate." Akame said.
The room remained silent for some time after that. After a little while the representative of the revolutionary army cleared his throat. "And the good news?"
Akame took a deep breath. "The emperor is dead."
"What?!" Isamu exclaimed and Leone immediately straigthened up.
"How? I haven't heard anything about this?" the representative asked.
"They haven't revealed it yet. But the emperor was murdered in his bedchamber a week ago."
"By who?" Leone asked.
"We don't know. And from what we can tell, neither does the empire. The imperial court is searching fanatically. They have been doing suprise searches and raids day and night this week."
"This is great right?" Isamu said and looked around. Suprised that no one was cheering. "Right?"
"It is good." Akame admitted. "But we don't know the extent of what it means."
"Hmm?" Isamu said and looked at her.
"We have always known that the prime minister is the real enemy on the political field. The boy-emperor was never anything more than a puppet. So the question is, how will the prime minister keep his grip on the rule of the empire now?" Leone said and looked at Akame who nodded in response.
"Exactly." Akame said. "But one thing is for sure. A chaotic time lies ahead of the empire."
"Then we should move ahead with whatever plans we have." the representative of the revolutionary army said. "Their confusion is our opportunity."
"Agreed." Akame said and leaned back a bit.
"So... what is our next move?" Leone asked with a smile and looked at Akame.
Akame looked out over the room. "There is another faction in the empire that is currently opposing the imperial court. It is about time that we meet them."
"The pillager." Leone said. A bitter tinge in her voice. "I am sure that you know this but his treatment of the people we represent hasn't been much sweeter than that of the empire. Just some days ago we recieved messages about his forces slaughtering a town of almost a thousand. Mainly farmers and traders. No one knows why yet."
"I know." Akame said in a serious tone. "Believe me, I know."
"So are we going to try and take them down then?" Leone asked.
"No." Akame said slowly. "I want to try and start an alliance of sorts with them."
Leone closed her eyes and leaned back into her chair. An irritated expression on her face. She had sensed that this was coming.
"General Makeias has disappeared from the face of the earth ever since Garu." Isamu said. "It is obvious that he is playing the long game. How would we get a hold of him? And if we do, what makes you think that he will listen to what we have to say?"
"A couple of weeks ago you might have been right. But the situation has changed. Makeias has joined forces with the former jaeger Wave. And that man has kept some contact with us ever since he left the empire."
"Ahh." Leone said. Momentarily brought back from her sulking. "That kid that stole away half of the imperial fleet just some days after Esdese made him into an admiral. I like that one."
"Is Makeias aware that we have contact with him?" Isamu asked.
"I don't know. But I think that if we try and reach out to them, Wave can at least make them listen to what we have to say."
"And what do we have to say?" Leone asked.
"I want us to join forces." Akame said after a little while. "There is no secret that we are heavily reduced in strength. And when our hopes of winning this struggles shrinks, so do the number of people that want to join us. And the number of deserters we suffer everyday is only increasing. Joining forces with Makeias might give us the boost we need."
"This is most likely the man that killed Najenda, Akame." Leone said somberly.
"We don't know that for sure." Akame said. "Nor do we know what part Tatsumi played in all of it."
"He is called the pillager." Leone argued. "His forces only maintain themselves by plundering the weak and poor. We will lose credibility if we join them."
"We will not go into this pact without some demands." Akame tried to console. "We will demand that he changes some of the operations that he is conducting and that he stops his own suppression of the people."
Leone went silent for some moments. It was very clear that she didn't agree on this course of action.
Akame chose to ignore her for the moment. "I want to try and have a meeting with the leaders of that organization in person. With all of us present."
"Is that necessary? It would probably be easier to handle these negotiaions in some other way." Isamu said.
"It is necessary." Akame assured. "Because if the pilllager don't agree to our terms, then we will not allow him to leave the meeting alive."
Leone looked up at Akame. Understanding where things were going. "You don't think that Makeias will agree to our terms, do you?"
Akame shrugged. "Probably not. He is doing well enough without us already. However, this is a new faction and they do deserve a diplomatic chance first. And if things don't work out, then we will stop Makeias. Once and for all. One way or another, it is time for his pillaging days to end."
Leone smiled and nodded. Isamu seemed a little bit more sceptical.
"So we will invite him to negotiations that we think will fail, with the intentions of killing him when they do. Doesn't sound like a very heroic thing for a group of freedom fighters to do."
"We are not heroes, Isamu." Leone said. "We are assassins. And that is what we will always be."
Akame nodded. "And who knows. Bringing down the man known for terrorizing the people might make some more of said people come to our side. It might give us the boost we need."
Leone nodded again. "I like this plan."
"I will inform the leaders of the revolutionary army of this." the representative said and started to leave the room.
Isamu sighed. "I had hoped that my days of backstabbing were behind me."
"Dismembered alive into five parts by horses." Tatsumi read with anger in his voice. Walking beside Esdese towards the meeting in casual clothes. A small group of people walking behind them. Some of Esdese's advisors, officers and couriers.
"A flashy way to do it." Esdese said unpertubed. Noticing Tatsumi's irritation but not paying any heed to it. She was wearing her full uniform. Her long white cape swaying behind her as she walked.
"The man was thoroughly informed that his daughter and wife would be given a lot of attention by those he had betrayed." Tatsumi read on and looked at her with accusing eyes. He was reading a report about how some of the spies that had been found had been executed this last week. The entire palace was currently going through a vast search for the emperor's killer. Everyone even slightly suspicious was examined thoroughly. And if even the slightliest evidence or clues of betrayals were found, the people in question were taken to the torture chambers for "questioning".
And while they still hadn't found the assassin, the constant raids and suprise searches had caught a couple of spies and informers. Some belonging to the revolutionary army and some belonging to other nations.
Tatsumi himself felt no fear at all over the situation. Esdese had very clearly stated that she was his alibi. To just question her word or judgement was a huge risk. Even if you were a part of some special police force. So even if people were suspicious of him, none dared to accuse him openly.
Though Tatsumi still read most reports that came in about the discovered spies. Wishing to know if any of them were people he knew of or had worked with before. So far, they had all been strangers.
"Sounds like he knew that his family was in for a bit of rape as he was torn apart." Esdese said nonchalantly. "What of it?"
"How can this not make you sick to your stomach, Esdese? I know I have asked this before but I still can't understand you in this regard."
"It is you who are hard to understand, Tatsumi." Esdese said as she looked down the corridor they were walking through. "Why do you care about these people? You didn't know that they existed until you read that report."
"It is part of this strange thing called basic human compassion. I know that it may seem a bit foreign to you." Tatsumi said with bitter sarcasm.
"No. I really can't understand it, Tatsumi." Esdese said. "Thousands die of starvation in this country every day. Hundreds die in the torture chambers every day. If your irritation steems from this "basic human compassion" then why aren't you seething every hour of every day?"
They walked through a couple of big doors as she went on. "If it was just a question of some sort of feeling you have and I don't, then I would understand it. But these feelings of yours seem to be so selective."
Tatsumi sighed. He knew that this was a discussion that he couldn't win. They were simply too diffrent in this regard. He let the report slip out of his hand. Letting it fall down on the floor behind him. "In the end, it seems that it really just is something that I have and you don't." he said tiredly.
"That is fine." Esdese said. "You are mine, despite all our diffrences. You will still be my mate, even if some parts of you are a bit too soft for my preferences."
The group following them snickered lighty at that unintended smear. But Esdese immediately silenced them with a dangerous glance over her shoulder. She held their attention with her cold gaze for some moments before she turned her head forward again. She didn't like that. It seemed like they still didn't understand that any attacks at Tatsumi meant an attack at her.
She felt the need to statuate another example but had not found an opportunity to do so. There was a certain limit to how harsh you could punish one of your own subordinates for such a small thing as giggling at the wrong time. Even for her. She had her standards. She would have to wait until a good opportunity rose to make an example again.
She had however noted that her own underlings had started to be a bit more hostile against Tatsumi again. In whatever petty and pathetic way they could find. It irritated her in a big way. Not only because they were annoying Tatsumi but also because it meant that they they thought that he still had a part in the emperor's death in some way. Which meant that they didn't trust her word. Since she had been the one to absolve Tatsumi of any blame.
She was quite certain that Tatsumi was innocent but even if she hadn't been, that behaviour was unacceptable to her. They didn't trust their commander and leader. They had sworn her loyalty and pledged their lifes to her. Submitting to her strength. Yet they still dared to question her judgement and distrust her word.
She needed to make an example. A good example. Soon.
For now she just reached down and grabbed Tatsumi's hand as they walked on. Holding it in a strong grip.
Fifteen minutes later they arrived at the meeting. Their arrival to the giant hall was loudly announced by the guards by the door. Esdese letting go off Tatsumi for the moment as she walked up to her place.
They had arrived to the emperors main audience chamber. A humongous hall with two galleries to either side. Meant for the politicans and leaders that made up the imperial court. Both galleries were slightly tilted towards the end of the room, where a giant podium rose from the marble flood. At the top of it stood the empty throne of the emperor. The prime minister stood beside it.
The room was being filled with leaders as they arrived. All the members of the imperial court and their retinues getting ready for the meeting. The prime minister's entire cabinet was gathered.
Tatsumi took his place in the back of the hall. Leaning against the wall as Esdese made her way towards the podium and the prime minister.
She was however intervened by the minister of internal affairs on her way there. The grey man walking around with a cane.
"Good to see you again, great general." the old man said. "I heard that you had some trouble with another teigu user down in the training hall the other day."
"I would call it more of an annoyance than actual trouble, minister." Esdese said with a relaxed smile. "But yeah, Izou tried to hurt what belongs to me so I relieved him off his duties." she said with a quick glance at Tatsumi.
"It's a shame really." the minister said and coughed for some moments. "It seems like our entire empire is overrun with treachery these days."
"Indeed." Esdese said. "You don't have to worry though. I will keep the order."
"It is good.. cough.. that we have someone as reliable as you leading the military, Esdese." the minister said and coughed.
Esdese nodded and moved on. Walking up the stairs on the podium. Passing by general Gallus as she did. The big man saluting her. When she had reached the top she took her place behind the throne. On the side that the prime minister wasn't standing on.
After another ten minutes, most people in the room had found their places and the room was growing more silent. When the room had grown a bit more quiet, the prime minister walked forward.
"Thank you all for coming to this important meeting." he said and cleared his throat. "This last week has been very sad and very distressing for all of us. The passing of our beloved leader has not been easy. Especially when it was such a sweet and noble child. But it is time that we move forward."
Agreeing murmurs could be heard from the galleries.
"We have kept the death of the emperor somewhat secret from our population, since we didn't want to spread any panic. The people need to know that someone is in charge." the prime minister went on. "But our search for the murderer has drawn out, as have the search for who will inherit the throne. Sadly most of our former emperor's family is dead. So that search has been hard. As you all know."
Tatsumi chuckled discreetly. He knew that the only reason why they hadn't found any clear relatives to the emperor yet was because the prime minister had most of them killed years ago. Now it was hard to find anyone with a reasonable claim to the throne. Even more hard for the prime minister to find someone which would act as a puppet so willingly.
"But we can not keep this a secret forever. It is time that we act. We will announce that the emperor is dead tomorrow morning. While we continue to search for the next one in line for the throne. It is, however, important that we retain structure and order in these troubled times. Especially now, when it is unclear of who will be the next emperor. So in order to stop panick from spreading and retaining safety in the empire, the great general will act."
With those words the prime minister took a couple of steps back and Esdese stepped forth.
She smiled out over the galleries. Her hands on her hips. "Leaders of the empire!" she called out loudly. "In our current state, you are unable to produce a clear leader of the empire. So until such a time comes, the military will step in."
She raised her hands out in front of her. Her smile growing larger. "By the power bestowed upon me by my rank, given to me by the empire, I hereby declare martial law. The military will control the empire until stability has been found."
The entire room erupted into a loud mix of shouted objections, questions and exclamations.
At the back of the room, Tatsumi felt his jaw drop.
Had he just won? Had he just now been given what he had strived for, for such a long time? He simply stood there in shock. It sure as hell looked like he had won.
He understood very well what was going on. The realization just took it's time to sink in. The prime minister next move had been to keep his iron grip on the empire by momentarily making Esdese into it's supreme ruler. Removing all power from previous executives, legislatives and branches of the government. Giving it all to her.
Which of course only was a facade, Tatsumi reasoned. The prime minister knew that Esdese didn't have any real desire for political power. She wasn't really interested in ruling. That was why he dared to do this. He felt sure that she would only act as medium. The prime minister would stay in control. This was just another favor she did for him. Tatsumi could only imagine what she had asked for in return. Considering that this had to be the biggest favor she had done for him yet.
But it didn't matter. She was now in control of everything, just as Tatsumi had intended. He had never dreamt that just killing the child emperor would give him these results. Now he just had to use her. Now she would ruin the empire on his behalf. And she would love doing it.
He looked at her for some moments and then looked over at the prime minister. A bad feeling filled him as he noticed that the prime minister was looking directly at him with a knowing smile on his face.
He had to know, Tatsumi thought. He must understand. If he even had the slightest suspicion that Tatsumi was what he was then he would also understand that this was now a fight between the two of them about who it was that had Esdese on their side. And since Tatsumi thought that the prime minister had realized this, then the logical conclusion would be that the prime minister had something that he thought would make Esdese take his side in all scenarios. Without fail. Otherwise he wouldn't have betted so much on it.
Tatsumi felt uneasiness fill him but didn't let any of it show true. Calmly meeting the gaze of the prime minister. Unsure if this was his biggest success or his doom approaching.
All around him, the imperial court was in an uproar. They did not take kindly to losing most of their control and influence. Even if it was just momentarily.
"This is a cough.. cough.. travesty." the minister of internal affairs sputtered out."How do we know that this will not only create more.. cough.. cough.. panic."
"Just so." another minister called out.
"And how do we know that the military will give back the control to the people when the time comes." a third one called out. Immediately shrinking away as Esdese's eyes settled upon him. The prime minister stepped in before she got a chance to retort.
"Gentlemen, gentlemen." he called out in a soothing voice. "Calm down. This is not the case of some hostile takeover. Remember the great general's history."
Most of the court turned their attention to him as he continued. "Esdese has been helping this court and the empire's interest for as long as she has been a part of the military. She destroyed the former great general when he opposed our rigth to rule. She has since then uphold our legislations and decisions without fail. Gentlemen, Esdese is not some foreign soldier who is taking control of our dear empire. She is one of our oldest and strongest allies."
Everyone in the room knew that he meant that she was one of his oldest and strongest allies. Tatsumi looked at the prime minister as he continued to calm down the cabinet.
I will put that to the test now, he thought. Esdese herself had remained silent after the announcement. Standnig slightly behind the prime minister with her arms crossed over her chest. An amused smile on her face. The prime minister was however getting his cabinet in line again. Which had always been the obvious outcome. Since most of them had been bought or put there by him.
"You see my friends? There is no need for worry." he called out loudly.
"Cough.. but we don't know that for certain." the minister of internal affairs called out. The old man coughing violently. "We don't.. cough... know how cough.. cough.. the public cough.. will.." the last of the minister's complaint disappeared in a fit of violent coughing.
"Get the man some water." the prime minister said and turned his attention to the other ministers. Starting to talk about why this was the best course of action.
General Gallus started to walk over to the minister of internal affair. The man coughing heavily. "You should take it easy, minister. You're not a young man anymore." he called out his deep and friendly voice.
But before he could get close to the gallery, the old man bent over and threw up over the seats under him. Everyone in the room focused their gaze on the minister. A collection of gasps could be heard.
Because the liquid that spewed from the minister's mouth and nose was as black as oil. After the minister of internal affairs had threwn up a large amount of the liquid on those sitting beneath him, he fell over in his seat. Already dead.
The two people sitting beneath the man had both gotten their backs covered in the sticky liquid. They started to stand up but before they could get far, their bodies started to spasm heavily. Both of them falling over as their bodies struggled in panick against the foreign attack on their systems.
Esdese had only seen this black liquid once before but she recognized the feeling it gave her immediatlely. How her instincts despised it's presence.
"Morbus." she said lowly and took a couple of steps forward. Walking past the prime minister. "Get away from the liquid immediately!" she shouted in her commanding voice. Overpowering all the other noises in the room.
"What is going on?" a politician in the opposite gallery shouted. His answer came from the person sitting three seats to the left of him. The man had grown pale from the display in front of him. He tried to stop his reaction. Covering his mouth with his hands. But it didn't help much. The only result was that when the man vomitted, the black liquid that flew out from his mouth hit those sitting around him instead.
And after that, the whole room descended into chaos.
Everyone tried the shove and push to get away from those that had been touched by the liquid. Those that had already gotten some on them were either flailing around in panic, spasming on the floor or already dead. But the increased chaos only served to spread Morbus around more and more. Some more people started to vomit out the black liquid. And some of those that were covered in it tried to grab those around them. Screaming for help.
People were running down from the galleries in panic, kicking and shoving to get away from the danger. Rushing towards the door that lead out of the hall.
"Gallus! Don't let them escape." Esdese commanded. "Don't let this spread out into the palace."
Gallus immediately placed himself in front of the closed doors that the politicians were running towards. But they showed no signs of stopping because of him. He could see that many of them were carrying the black liquid. Either on their skin or on their clothes. He realized that he would most likely get the black liquid on himself if he let them get to close.
"By god be purged!" he roared and smashed his giant warhammer down into the floor in front of him. Calling upon the power of his teigu.
From the point where he had stiked his hammer down, a giant wave of fire emerged, moving out in front of him in a cone. Engulfing those that were running towards the doors. Incinerating them in a matter of seconds. The panicked and tortured screams of the dying barely made the volume in the room go up. The riot in the room was already completely engulfing.
Esdese leaped down from the podium on the other side of the hall. She looked at how the black liquid was spreading from the bodies on the floor. She noted how it streamed in all directions. Even moving upwards the small slope in the rooms floor. Fighting against gravity in order to reach new flesh.
She had seen quite enough. She went down on one knee and put her hand against the floor. Mustering a considerable amount of her teigu's power. In the blink of an eye she froze all the corpses and all the black liquid in the room. Along with some of the dying ministers. Sealing them all in ice. Stopping Morbus in it's tracks.
Even after that it took a good ten minutes before the room became still once again. By then, Esdese had freezed two more politicians and Gallus had been forced to burn another small group of them. When order finally was established, only three of the forty ministers were still alive.
Esdese looked around in the now silent room. The stench of burnt flesh filling it. The prime minister was nowhere to be seen. He seemed to have escaped the room early on. Through some hidden or secret passage. Since Gallus had refused to let anyone leave through the doors.
She looked around in the room for some moments. "Tatsumi?" she called out.
After some moments Tatsumi emerged out of thin air. Some meters beside the doors. Deactivating Incursio's invisibility. Esdese smiled and nodded at him in relief.
Gallus walked up to Esdese. Resting his giant warhammer on his shoulder. "What is going on? What happened?" he asked and looked around in the room. The three remaining ministers sat huddled in corner. Terrified and sobbing.
"It seems like the pillager has destroyed the imperial court." Tatsumi said and walked up to them. Working hard to subdue his glee.
"But how?" Gallus asked and looked around them. Witnessing the grim scene. Burnt bodies lay in a circle around the door he had guarded. The res of the imperial court were strewed out over the floor. With exception of those that were frozen solid.
"He worked closely with the cabinet after he returned from his war at the western borders." Esdese said in irritation. "He told me so himself during Budo's last meeting. He infected them back then. Just as he did with Tatsumi. Just that these weaklings didn't have the stregth to resist it, unlike Tatsumi."
"This is horrible." Gallus said. "Now we don't have any goverment that the military can return the power to."
Tatsumi looked at Esdese. "Looks like you will be holding the reins for a little bit longer than expected." he said with a smile.
Esdese sighed heavily and covered half her face with a hand. She was not looking forward to all the administrative work she would have to do. And even worse, Makeias had delivered another devastating blow to her nation. Right under her nose.
"I will make the pillager pay for this." Esdese said. Her eyes growing more terrifying. "I will see to it that all the things he loves is destroyed before he dies."
Tatsumi nodded and looked out over the room as Gallus went down on his knees and started to pray for the dead.
Tatsumi had dreamed of a scenario like this one for so long but now that it was here, it didn't matter anymore. Because Esdese was already the one in power. Though it did give him a dark satisfaction to know that the imperial court was gone. Even if Makeias didn't realize it, he had sealed the fate of the empire to a single struggle of who could win Esdese over to their side. Tatsumi or the prime minister.
And Tatsumi had a bad feeling that the prime minister had a rather nasty card hidden in his sleeve.
Author's note:
And the chaos has begun. Unlike Garu or the great general arc, in this part of the story, the action will be spread out over the rest of the arc, instead of just being focused into the last chapters. Should be exciting. When I wrote the Garu arc, I was always looking forward to writing the "Between" chapters(the battle itself). When it comes to this arc, what will begin in the next chapter is what I have been looking forward to the most to writing.
Thanks to all of you for having patience with my delays. I miss most of my deadlines with a couple of days right now but I still need to make them. I'm afraid that I will lose my productivity otherwise. So expect the next one in 10(11-13) days.
As always, thanks for reading and thanks for all the comments and reviews. They really make this enjoyable for me.
Until next time, take care of each other.